1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to an ice bank of an ice-making device, having an improved structure for discharging ice smoothly.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In general, a refrigerator is provided with a cooling chamber and a freezer. At this time, the cooling chamber keeps a temperature at about 3° C.–4° C. for keeping food and vegetables fresh for a long time, and the freezer keeps a temperature at a sub-zero temperature for keeping and storing food frozen for a long time.
Recently, the refrigerator has been developed for performing various additional functions besides a typical function thereof. For example, an icemaker may be provided in the refrigerator. FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a general ice-making device for a refrigerator, and FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating a general icemaker of an ice-making device for a refrigerator. Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the icemaker 1 is provided and fixed in an upper inside part of a freezer of the refrigerator. The icemaker 1 freezes up water and discharges ice automatically.
Hereinafter, the icemaker 1 is provided with an ice-making part 11 making ice, a water-supplying part 12 provided at one side of the ice-making part 11 so as to supply water to the ice-making part 11, a controller 13 provided at the other side of the ice-making part 11 and having a motor (not shown) therein, and an ejector 14 connected with the motor to discharge the ice made in the ice-making part 11 to an ice bank 5. Also, a connector 15 is provided at the rear side of the icemaker 1 to connect the icemaker 1 with the freezer of the refrigerator.
At this time, the ice-making part 11 is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape, and a plurality of ribs 16 are provided at fixed intervals so as to divide an interior space of the ice-making part 11 into sections. Then, the ejector 14 has a shaft crossing the center of the ice-making part 11, and a plurality of fins 14a are provided at a side portion of the shaft of the ejector 14 so as to discharge the made ice to the ice bank 5.
Also, a slide bar 17 is provided at a side of the fin 14a to guide the ice to the ice bank 5. More specifically, the ice guided by the fin 14a of the ejector 14 is dropped onto the slide bar 17, and then the ice slide along the surface of the slide bar 17 for being moved to the inside of the ice bank 5 provided at a lower part of the icemaker 1.
A heater (not shown) is provided on a lower surface of the ice-making part 11. In order to transfer the made ice, it is required to separate the ice from the surface of the ice-making part 11. For this, a temperature on the lower surface of the ice-making part 11 is increased with the heater, whereby the surface of the ice is melted, and the ice having the melted surface is smoothly transferred.
In a door 2 of the freezer for the refrigerator, there are the ice bank 5 and a dispenser 21 besides the icemaker 1. The ice bank 5 stores the ice made in the icemaker 1, and discharges the ice to the dispenser 21 at a user's need. At this time, the ice bank 5 is provided in a cylindrical shape having a hollow interior space, and the ice bank 5 is provided with a container for storing the ice, an ice transfer 3, and a crusher 4. The ice transfer 3 is means for transferring the stored ice to the dispenser 21, which is provided with a motor 31 and an auger 33. In this case, as the auger 33 is rotated according to the motor 31, the ice stored in an upper part of the ice bank 5 is moved to a lower part. Also, the crusher 4 is provided in the auger 33. In case the ice is made as a large-size piece, the piece of ice is crushed for being suitable to make cool drink and food with the ice.
However, the ice bank 5 having the aforementioned structure according to the related art has the following disadvantages.
First, the auger has a function for rotating the ice by the motor. If the dispenser is not used for a long time period, the ice may be caught and fixed in the auger, whereby it is impossible to move the ice smoothly, and the auger may be distorted. That is, the ice stored in the center of the container is moved smoothly. However, it is hard to move the ice stored in side portions of the container 21 with the auger 22. Accordingly, the driving motor 25 for driving the auger 22 may be damaged.
Furthermore, the driving motor 25 is provided in the lower part of the dispenser 30. Thus, it is required to provide an additional connection shaft 24 for transferring rotation power of the driving motor 25 to the auger 22, so that the structure of the inner wall of the door 2, in which the connection shaft 24 is provided, is complicated.
In order to overcome these problems, it is required to develop the ice bank of the ice-making device and the refrigerator using the same, having the structure to made the piece of ice in a size corresponding to a user's desire without changes and damages of the inside structure in the ice bank, to discharge the ice stored and fixed in the container smoothly.